Great Soup

I have to post this recipe before I forget!

-Make a rue from coconut oil, onions and garlic
-Add can of coconut milk, 2 tbsp curry powder and simmer
-brown a lb of ground beef in a frying pan
-When the coconut milk has simmered and thickened fill the pot with water and chopped veggies
(I added broccoli, baby bok choy, bean sprouts,mushrooms and celery)
-Add the ground beef and juices, and a cup of pearl barley
-If you want it a bit thicker then add a cup of milk
- I added some different spices, salt and pepper to taste

YUMMY!

Oops- I've done it again!

OK- I need to start a new rule. Blog everyday, or else I'll lose my readers (do I have any?)

Everything gearing up for spring is getting even busier. I've been finished work for a month now, and the days have been even more full if that is possible!

I'm determined to have a garden, I've been tilling up a storm. Avari's little garden area is almost finished, just waiting for the bizarre weather to be over so we can plant some little seeds for her. She's been helping fill it up with worms! I've constructed a compost and it's filling up quite quickly as we do the yard work. I'd say that the front yard is about 80% done. Just needs a couple more hours of tilling and weeding and some gorgeous new soil, some edging and presto!

We've also been keeping our weekends busy constructing and making things. Besides the compost, I've dyed some playsilks with kool-aid, made a wooden spindle and a birdhouse. We're planning on making Avari a set of playstands in may that have some shelves for her to play with and then a playsilk can be draped over for shade.


She already loves her little table set we created for her out of some old stumps that were left in our backyard




All in all, I suspect that I will have the front yard done by April 15th, then it will be the construction of the backyard garden and seed planting for May 1st. Yea me!

My crafting has been lacking due to lots of tax stuff, and doing my new advertising job- that has to be done in the evenings, and it's alot of set up work. April 13th I start my photography assistant job and I'm SOOOOOOOO stoked about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, after quitting work, I now have 3 jobs and a fulltime mom slot all wrapped up in to a day, and I LOVE it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm also catching up on technology. I'm getting a cell phone- a blackberry and it's PINK! yippee! I can now check email all day, any time of the day, and do MSN stuff all day. I'm not going to get in to web surfing, but it has an organizer, so instead of having a zillion little pieces of paper getting lost in my pocket - they will now be engrained in my new beloved toy. Can you tell i'm excited and it's not even here yet!

I got a wonderful little gift in the mail today. I'm so fortunate to be a part of a great group of mommas online and we're doing a mother's day swap. Today I got a little note in hte mail with 3 beautiful handmade gift cards that are getting put in a frame as soon as I can get back to the store to get one. Thanks so much secret sister!!!!!!

OK- back to do a few rows of my spring cardigan before naptime is over

Where do I begin

I'm ashamed to even admit how long it has been since I have blogged. 3 weeks? Last month just went by in a blur! I didn't realize until I was on Ravelry this evening and saw the date of the last posting. So, what have I been up to?

Well, let's just start with the fabulous trip at the end of February! I'm taking a photography course called Chicks Who Click with Karen in Courtenay and it was our first class. I'm finally learning the technical aspects of my camera, and things seem to be making alot more sense as opposed to flying by the sheet of the wind. Yea!!! Our first project is to shoot "Touch" . Well this is where my creativity is lacking. I can imagine the obvious way to shoot touch. But I really want to grow here and I know that people are going to come up with some fabulous ideas, and I have trouble with coming up with interesting ideas. Think brain, think! Or stop thinking so hard about it... ha ha-

After the class my mom and I went on the Great Yarn and Toy Search - we hit up every shop from Campbell River to Duncan including an alpaca farm. I was hoping to get my hands on some gorgeous alpaca roving, but had to settle for the softest yarn there ever was. I can't wait for my dye to arrive! We managed to resist and only buy 3 giant bags full....

I learned today that there is a new yarn store opening up South of Town- this is very good news! I also have made a connection to the Spinner and Weavers guild and I'm so excited to see where that could lead.

I feel like I've been crafting lately, but getting nowhere - that could be the sheer volume of projects I have on hand! I've started a sweater and knit jacket for myself, and Avari's birthday dress and I'm working on a little hat for Marshall tonight. I'm blocking a scarflet tonight to add buttons too, and I have to frog 82 rows of a dress knit with sock yarn because I didn't realize that I had twisted the project on the first row when I joined my circular needle. (cry)

I really, really, really want to sew more, but I've gotten a little intimidated by it lately. I know what I want to sew, but I just can't get started-

Busy, busy, busy

My typical day is getting very full now! I'm going through lots of life changes and my horoscope is affirming this (usually it's very off). I'm going to be joining a photo class with Karen that starts next week (once a month for 5 months). Next Monday is my last day at Mitchells- I'm going to be starting a new chapter.

I had a fun day today! Avari and I went to Family Place for Toddler Time. She's getting so much fun to watch! I made Chili and baked a loaf of Banana Bread during her nap. Then we went for a walk up to Mitchells for lunch, came back and played.

There's so much more to write! My brain hasn't been in to blogging and I've been starting a few projects but I'm not getting too far.

Proud owner of a Dehydrator!

Gotta Love Freecycle! I know have a dehydrator- I'm very excited- my kitchen is about 85% organized- all spices have spice jars, all flours have bins, all odd and end lids are GONE. I even learned that my oven is self cleaning, which is very wicked in itself!!!

I'm a new Auntie today!!! Marshall Robert was born at 8:30 this morning at 8lbs 14oz- I can't wait to see Rhonda tomorrow- what an amazing momma! Love you guys!

I'll write more tonight- I know I've been neglectful again

Great Recipe Source

So, my goal is to try and incorporate raw foods into 2/3rds of our diet- I have that awesome cookbook, and now I've found a good website with recipes

http://www.rawfoods.com/recipes/

I really need a dehydrator- maybe that's something I can get with tax return money- yippee!

Changes

I'm about to start a new fun chapter beginning in March - can't spill the details yet.

and yes.

there may be some extreme knitting :)

Seriously though, I'm going to be taking the Chicks who Click course to help with my photography, and meet some fun new people! It's once a month for 5 months- and a little road trip to boot. I'm also gearing up for a really fun summer- yes I know that it is far away still, but it feels like it's right around the corner!